Ctg Port Director Enamul under ACC scanner

Despite facing serious allegation of embezzling a large sum of government money, Enamul Karim, director (Traffic) of Chattogram Port, the lifeline of Bangladesh’s economy, has long been working at important department and post through undue influence.
In addition to the charge of misappropriating government money, there are allegations of abuse of power and other irregularities against Enamul, working at the same department for around 17 years.

He allegedly embezzled around Tk10.56 crore of port dues in cooperation with a shipping agent.
Following the allegation, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched a formal inquiry against him.
In continuation of the inquiry, the Inquiry Officer and ACC Chattogram Divisional Office Assistant Director Aongti Chowdhury issued a letter to the CPA secretary in April this year.
Quoting allegation, the officer in the letter mentioned that Enamul embezzled around Tk10.56 crore of port dues in cooperation of shipping agent breaching the regulation of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) while serving as the manager under the Traffic Department.  
The officer requested to send all documents related to the amount Tk10.56 crore which CPA gets from the shipping agent “Messer’s Unibengal Container Management Limited” as handling charges, the records of legal actions CPA taken in this regard and details of all officials and employees of the department worked during handling the containers of the Unibengal.
The AD Aongti told the Daily Sun on Sunday that the CPA authority sent the documents they sought earlier.
“We are now scrutinising them while talking with the officials concerned,” he said.
“After completion of inquiry, we will submit report to the higher authority. Then, next course of action will be taken,” he said.
Port sources said the ACC investigation stems from a 2016 incident involving container handling irregularities.
According to port regulations, shipping agents must maintain adequate balances in their revolving accounts to receive port clearance for container handling. However, in the 2015-16 fiscal year, the port’s Traffic department – then under the operational charge of Manager Enamul Karim – allegedly bypassed these rules.
Despite having insufficient funds in concerned account, Shipping Agent M/S Unibengal Container Management Ltd was granted port clearance defying the rules.
As a result, Chattogram Port suffered financial losses amounting to Tk10.32 crore from the Unibengal. The port later initiated legal proceedings but failed to recover the dues, said the sources.
On the other hand, the corruption and influence of Enamul also drew widespread criticism on social media.
Quoting intelligence sources, freelance Journalist Jawad Nirjhor in a Facebook post on Saturday alleged that Enamul owns Tk800-Tk1,000 crore and siphoned off huge money in abroad, with having properties and investment in the United States in addition to those of in the country.
Nirjhor accused Enamul of running a vast corruption network that spans recruitment rackets, extortion, and illicit business dealings.
In the detailed Facebook post published, Nirjhor also alleged that Enamul has exercised unchecked control over critical port operations for nearly two decades. Once appointed to the port in 1996 during the tenure of then-Shipping Minister ASM Abdur Rob, Enamul reportedly leveraged personal and political connections to secure and later maintain his position through successive governments.
According to Nirjhor, Enamul has consistently shifted his political identity for convenience, claiming proximity to senior Awami League leaders during their rule while currently projecting himself as aligned with BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
The Facebook post claims that Enamul oversees an entrenched bribery system within the port, particularly in staff recruitment. Job seekers are allegedly forced to pay Tk50,000 to Tk1,00,000 for appointments, with the recruitment process managed by leaders of the Port Workers Employees League – Mir Naushad (President), Md Alamgir (General Secretary) and Sohel Chowdhury (Organising Secretary).
Enamul is also accused of demanding fixed sums from each container handled at port jetties. Shippers unwilling to pay allegedly face deliberate bureaucratic delays. Every official file reportedly passes through his hands, with bribes for approvals ranging from Tk5,000 to crore, coordinated by his aide Sujon, who claims to have links to the former Prime Minister’s family.
Nirjhor claimed Enamul holds partial ownership of one of 23 ship-handling licenses issued during the last Awami League government. He allegedly partnered with Arshadul Alam Bacchu.
Enamul Karim could not be reached for comment over phone.